Charging Slateback MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Beast
Abilities	Morph
Released	2002-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Onslaught
Set code	ONS
Power	4
Toughness	3
Number	194
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mark Tedin

Key Takeaways

Gaining battlefield advantage with Charging Slateback could tilt the momentum in your favor, despite its sorcery speed.
Sacrificing a card to play it is costly, but its substantial threat level can draw attention from other mana developments.
Charging Slateback is an aggressive choice for your collection due to its immediacy and potential for combat synergy.

Text of card

Charging Slateback can't block. Morph o4o R (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for o3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)

Goblins prize its hide for building rock sled runners.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The inclusion of Charging Slateback in your deck could lead to gaining a tactical edge on the battlefield. Although it doesn’t draw cards directly, its ability to overwhelm opponents can shift the game’s momentum in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Charging Slateback isn’t typically known for its role in resource acceleration. However, its demanding presence ensures that your resources are dedicated to a substantial threat, potentially diverting attention from your other mana developments.

Instant Speed: While Charging Slateback operates at sorcery speed, its brute force compensates for the lack of instant speed interaction. This colossal dinosaur brings considerable power to the table whenever it’s your turn to charge ahead.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike most creatures that can be cast without an additional cost, Charging Slateback requires sacrificing card advantage. Players must discard a card to unleash its potential, a heavy price when your hand is already dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: Charging Slateback’s mana cost demands a specific combination of energies, limiting its integration to decks that can consistently provide the required resources. This makes it a less flexible card in a format that values adaptability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost on the steeper side, Charging Slateback competes with other powerhouses in the same mana range. When choosing how to optimize mana usage, it’s important to consider whether its impact on the battlefield is worth the investment compared to other options.

Reasons to Include Charging Slateback in Your Collection

Versatility: Charging Slateback, with its hasty assault capabilities, offers a dynamic edge to decks requiring that immediate board presence. Its ability to swing into the red zone upon entering the battlefield makes it a fitting choice for aggressive strategies.

Combo Potential: This creature’s haste pairs well with synergies that benefit from attacking creatures. It can enable everything from raid triggers to equipment that accrues value upon combat, amplifying your strategic plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where speed can make or break a match, Charging Slateback keeps pace with faster, more agile decks. In a meta where establishing early dominance is key, incorporating a quick and sizeable threat can shift duels in your favor, making it a worthy inclusion for those aiming to outpace opponents.

How to beat

Charging Slateback is a creature that can have a considerable impact on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. Its raw power and abilities make it a formidable creature to face. To gain the upper hand against Charging Slateback, it’s essential to disrupt its momentum. Creature removal spells like Doom Blade or Path to Exile effectively handle threats by removing them before they can cause significant damage. Moreover, countering it upon casting with spells like Cancel or Mana Leak can prevent it from entering the battlefield in the first place, saving you from its charge.

Playing defensively can also be a strategy. Building a board presence with creatures that have higher toughness can absorb the damage Charging Slateback deals, while enchantments that pacify or reduce the creature’s power can neutralize it without removing it from the field. In games where life totals are a resource, sometimes taking the hit and preserving removal for an even bigger threat can be a viable strategy. It’s critical to evaluate the state of the game and decide the right moment to act against creatures like Charging Slateback.

Ultimately, keeping cool and playing smart removals or counters while maintaining board control is the key to outmaneuvering the might of Charging Slateback in your MTG matches.

Cards like Charging Slateback

Charging Slateback is an impactful creature within Magic: The Gathering that provides a robust presence on the battlefield. It draws parallels to other creatures such as Rumbling Baloth, which comes with a formidable 4/4 body. While Rumbling Baloth lacks the charge mechanic, it steps into the battlefield without the need to sacrifice a land, making it a more stable play.

Another creature worth considering is Balduvian Horde, sharing a similar 5/5 body but with the potential for a non-land discard when entering the battlefield. This allows flexibility in maintaining a strong land base. Both creatures offer substantial power but differ in their preconditions for entering the battlefield.

Gatherer’s expert analysis reveals that despite a heavyweight creature, Charging Slateback’s demand for an upfront land sacrifice might deter players seeking a reliable curve. However, its raw power is worth the trade-off for those able to strategize around the land sacrifice, compared to Balduvian Horde’s random discard that could unexpectedly weaken a player’s hand.

Cards similar to Charging Slateback by color, type and mana cost

Balduvian War-Makers - MTG Card versions

Flowstone Salamander - MTG Card versions

Ma Chao, Western Warrior - MTG Card versions

Dwarven Strike Force - MTG Card versions

Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Charging Slateback MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Charging Slateback and other MTG cards: